Lever with slider

ABSTRACT

The lever with slider consists of a lever ( 30 ) and a slider ( 35 ), wherein the lever ( 30 ) consists of an axle attachment ( 10 ), at least two slider guides ( 12 ) and a guides limiter ( 14 ), whereas the slider ( 35 ) consists of a slider carrier ( 16 ), slider axle ( 24 ), slider limiter ( 18 ), key of the slider axle ( 22 ) and extremities attachment ( 20 ). The invention pertains to the field of equipment and devices for developing and exercising musculature or joints by means of a force of resistance with or without measuring devices. The invention addresses two problems, the problem of the best possible transfer of the extremities movement on the exercising device/appliance, i.e. the transfer of the exercising device/appliance movement on the extremity, rehabilitation or diagnostics and the problem of the removal of a large part of the unwanted load of the joints and skeletal system of the extremity that is undergoing exercising, rehabilitation or functional diagnostics.

STATE OF ART TO WHICH THE INVENTION APPLIES

The invention pertains to the field of equipment and devices for the development and exercise of musculature or joints by force of resistance with or without measuring devices. The invention is classified in A63B 21/00 according to the International Patent Classification.

TECHNICAL PROBLEM

Exercise, functional diagnostics and rehabilitation can in principle be performed by means of two types of load, namely by means of a free load (e.g. weight lifting or rope pulling) wherein the load enables the movement of the extremity or the body in all directions, or by means of a lever of the exercising device/appliance wherein the movement of the extremity is limited by means of a set rotational axis of the device or any other form of leading. In exercising or diagnostics my means of moving a lever, the extremity can move only in a way and in the direction in which the device lever itself moves. When performing a movement with a free load, the extremity moves along an arbitrary trajectory of the person exercising. However, during the exercise, functional diagnostics or rehabilitation of the extremity on the appliances and devices on which users exercise so that their extremity causes a semicircular movement of the appliance/device lever, or when the appliance/device by means of a lever moves the extremity of the user in a semicircular manner, the extremity movements on such devices are performed in a way so that the lever which moves due to the force of the extremity or the force produced by the device itself is rotated around a particular axis, consisting of the fixture point of the exercising, rehabilitation or diagnostics appliance/device lever. The extremity mainly moves by means of a mechanical rotation around the joint which is a fixed point of the extremities fixture. In this case there are two axes of rotation, one represented by the lever axis of the device and the other represented by the axis consisting of the extremity joint which is fixed on the lever.

However, considering that the axis around which the extremity is rotated and the axis around which the device lever is rotated do not necessarily, at every moment, go through the same imaginary line in space, there is a gap during the movement of the extremity fixed on the device lever wherein the point of connection of the extremity and the device lever cannot disclose the same curve in relation to these two axes of rotation. On the existing levers of such devices, considering that the same levers are fixed without the possibility of rotation on the point where the extremity s attached or the impossibility that the extremity attachment can slide parallel to the extremity, the user can suffer extremities load due to mechanical laws stating that every point which rotates around a certain axis will try to retain such movement in a way so that it is equidistant from the centre of rotation. This form of movement reduces efficiency, affects the measurement accuracy and can lead to unnatural load and consequently injuries.

STATE OF THE ART

Searching the state of the art, specifically searching the PATENTOSCOPE and ESPACENET patent databases shows that levers as parts of the exercising, training and functional diagnostics devices, similar to this lever which is the subject of the invention, are not subject to patent protection nor do they exist in commercial use. Namely, it is a lever ensuring so far the most trustworthy tracking of the extremities movements in relation to the power, speed and moment parameters measurement and representing a significant departure from the state of the art and the current knowledge about the possibilities of registering the actual moment of the extremities muscles on the registration devices, thereby increasing the exercising efficiency and reducing the risk of injuries.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention refers to a lever containing a slider which solves the primary problem of ensuring a trustworthy measurement of the extremity movement and power parameters, whether the extremity performs isokinetic, isotonic, isometric exercises, in a concentric or eccentric manner, or the combinations thereof.

A secondary problem the present invention solves is taking the pressure off the extremity joint that underwent training/testing/diagnostics because the lever attachment adjusts to the extremity during the entire time that the extremities moves in a way so that it moves on a trajectory on which the extremity also moves. In this process there is no resistance overcoming nor is there any tension, as opposed to the situation when the extremity moves on one trajectory and the extremity attachment on a close, but completely different trajectory.

A lever with a slider that is installed into the extremities exercising, rehabilitation and functional diagnosis appliances and devices consists of:

-   -   attachment onto the axle of the appliance or the device onto         which it is installed     -   one or more slider guides,     -   guides limiter,     -   a slider which is composed of a slider carrier and a slider axle         fixed onto it,         wherein there is, on the slider axle, a slider limiter and the         key of the slider axle among which there is the extremities         attachment movably positioned onto the slider axle;         wherein the slider, using a slider carrier is movably positioned         on the slider guides; and wherein the said slider lever enables         the movement of the point of contact of the extremities and the         extremities attachment around the extremities joints axis.

The key of the slider axle prevents the extremities attachment from falling out of the slider axle, whereas the slider limiter ensures the extremity's necessary functional distance from the slider lever. Furthermore, the function of the key of the slider axis is to prevent that the extremity attachment rotates around the slider axle more than it is necessary and that, when doing so, does not hinder the use of the same.

On one end, one or more slider guides are connected to the appliance or device axle attachment onto which the slider lever is fixed, whereas on the other end the slider guides are embedded into the guides limiter in order to ensure the stiffness of the slider guides and to prevent the falling out of the slider from the guides. It is preferable that the guides are profiled in a way so that only linear slider movement on the guides is enabled and that the profile of the guides does not allow the rotation of the slider around the guides axis.

Furthermore, it is preferable that the slider lever consists of two guides.

The attachment to the axle can rounded, partially in form of an arc or in any other embodiment which most closely reflects the parallel with the extremity line as best suits the designer, preserving thus during the process of design the functionality of the slider lever attachment onto the axle of the device/appliance for exercising, rehabilitation or functional diagnostics.

In an embodiment of the invention, the slider carrier can contain one or more linear bearings that are installed along the guides for better movement purposes.

Also, the extremities attachment may have a built-in linear bearing so that it can slide better, that is, rotate better around the slider axis.

Fixing the extremities into the extremities attachment can be performed in different ways—in the preferred embodiment by means of a “velcro” tape wherein the extremities are fixed at both ends of the extremities attachment wherein the tape, if the extremities are attached from the front, reinforces the extremities from the back and vice versa. Another possible way of fixing the extremities is by means of a system for fixing and adjusting the length of the rope in sailing equipment, as for example Cam Matic system developed by the company Harken.

The present invention can solve the mentioned problems in a way so that the extremity moves around the joint as its axis, whereas the point of contact of the extremity and the extremity attachment of the device for rehabilitation, training and functional diagnostics with regard to performed mobility elements also moves around the joint axis and not around the axis onto which the device lever is fixed. Therefore, the curves in space describing the points of contact of the extremity and the extremity attachment, wherein one point is on the extremity and the other one on the extremity attachment, are identical. For this reason, the most correct transmission of the extremity movement onto the lever occurs and therefore also the most correct display of the measured characteristics of the extremity musculature is created.

On the other side, the extremity joint is relieved from pressure which is put on the joint by the lever which was firmly fixed onto the extremity. This ensures that the device for moment registration will register the actual moment created by the extremity muscle.

The slider lever is mainly intended for use in highly sophisticated devices for training, rehabilitation and functional diagnostics, but it can also be used in other, less sophisticated, devices when the user wishes to use the advantages of the present invention.

Thus, the present invention can be applied to appliances and devices for exercising, rehabilitation and functional diagnostics such as, for example, devices of the manufacturers CON-TREX, BIODEX, CSMI or ISOMED2000 and it specifically addresses the problem of the extremity musculature movement transfer onto the device in a way so that the influence on joints and skeletal system supporting the muscles which perform the exercise (or which are the subject of rehabilitation, that is, functional diagnostics) is minimized.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figures describe the system and parts of the system according to the invention and serve as an example, but not as limitation. On the figures, the marks designate described or their similar parts.

FIG. 1

The main parts of the lever containing the slider

FIG. 2

Extremities example—specifically the left lower leg fixed into the extremities attachment showing the fixing of the slider lever onto the exercising device.

LIST OF THE USED REFERENCE SIGNS

-   -   10—axle attachment     -   12—slider guide     -   14—guides limiter     -   16—slider carrier     -   18—slider limiter     -   20—extremities attachment     -   22—key of the slider axle     -   24—slider axle     -   30—lever     -   35—slider     -   40—servomotor     -   50—servomotor axle

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AT LEAST ONE OF THE WAYS OF INVENTION PERFORMANCE

The invention is performed in such a way so that the axle attachment (10), made by machine processing from the piece of a steel plate, is permanently and suitably fixed onto the axle of the exercising device which is also the servomotor axle. The axle attachment (10) can be rounded, partially in form of an arc, so that it most closely reflects the line of the lower extremities as shown on FIG. 1, wherein the forming preserves the functionality of the slider lever attachment (30) onto the exercising, rehabilitation or functional diagnostics device/appliance.

Two round steel slider guides (12) of a high degree surface processing are fixed at the lower end of the axle attachment (10) and are also, at the lower end, firmly attached into the guides limiter (14) which is made of steel, thereby forming a lever (30). The slider (35) is performed by interconnecting, by means of a detachable connection, the following steel elements produced by machine processing, namely the slider carrier (16), slider limiter (18), extremities attachment (20), key of the slider axle (22) and the slider axle (24) wherein the said elements are interconnected in such a way so that the slider carrier (16) is fixed on one side of the slider axle (24) whereas the slider limiter (18) is fixed right next to it, and then the extremities attachment is attached on the axle and the same attachment slides over the slider axle and can rotate around it, provided that the free end of the slider is locked and fixed by means of a key of the slider axle. Once put together, the slider (35) is then attached onto the slider guides (12) which are fixed from the bottom by means of a guides limiter (14) so that the slider does not fall out from the slider guides. The slider axle (24) is then firmly and vertically fixed on the slider carrier and the key of the slider axle (22) is installed on the side of the slider axle which is most far apart from the slider guide, whereas the slider limiter (18) is installed on the side closer to the slider carrier. The slider (35) can move along the guides from the place of connection of the guides and the axle attachment to the place of connection of the guides and the guides limiter. The slider carrier (16) consists of embedded linear bearings, one for each slider guide.

The extremities attachment (20) moves along the slider axle (24) linearly in the direction of the attachment carrier axis with the possibility partially rotating around the attachment carrier axis, as much as it is allowed by the key of the slider axle (22). The extremities attachment has an embedded linear bearing for better sliding, that is, better rotation around the attachment carrier axis.

The fixing of the extremities into the extremities attachment (20) is performed by means of a “VELCRO®” tape wherein the tape is fixed on the two sides of the extremity attachment.

One of the ways of how to use the slider lever is shown in FIG. 2. The lever with slider, shown in this case for exercising/rehabilitation of the left knee is fixed onto the servomotor (40) axle (50), that is, the actuator/dynamometer axle which is a constituent part of the exercising device/appliance. It can be fixed onto a chair on which a person is seated, that is, it can be a separate part of the device. The left lower leg is fixed into the extremities attachment.

In the second possible embodiment used for training exercises of the right lower leg, the slider lever is performed as if it was a mirror reflection in relation to the slider lever for exercising the left lower leg.

In the third possible embodiment for pelvic muscles exercising/rehabilitation, the slider lever which is installed on the servomotor (40), wherein the person exercising is standing up, is fixed on the extremity attachment from the upper side of the upper leg.

In the fourth possible embodiment, when the person exercising is lying face down, the extremity attachment of the slider lever is fixed on the extremity (lower leg) in a way so that it is, from the back of the lower leg, almost always from the side on which the person exercising must overcome higher resistance.

In the fifth possible performance, the extremity attachment can be fixed also laterally on the extremity depending on the group of muscle performing the exercise.

In other embodiments, the lever with slider can be carried out accordingly so that hand rehabilitation/exercises can be performed, especially when it comes to persons who cannot form a grip (for example due to loss of hands, fingers, etc.). 

1. A lever with a slider which is fixed into appliances and devices for exercising, rehabilitation and functional diagnostics wherein it comprises the axle attachment (10) of the appliance or device onto which it is fixed, one or more slider guides (12), guides limiter (14) and the slider (35) consisting of a slider carrier (16) and slider axles (24) which are attached to it wherein the slider limiter (18) and the key of the slider axle (22) are placed on the slider axle, between which there is the extremities attachment movably positioned on the slider axle (24), wherein the slider (35) is movably placed on the slider guides (12) by means of a slider carrier (16) and wherein the said lever with slider (30) allows the movement of the point of connection of the extremities and the extremities attachment (20) around the axis of the extremities joint.
 2. A lever according to claim 1, wherein the slider axle (24) is placed vertically in relation to guides (12) of the slider lever (30).
 3. A lever according to claim 1, wherein it comprises two slider guides.
 4. A lever according to claims 1 to 3, wherein the slider carrier (16) moves along the guides (12) in the range from the place of connection of the slider guides (12) and the axle attachment (10) to the other end of the slider guides (12) which are embedded into the guides limiter (14).
 5. A lever according to claims 1 to 4, wherein the extremities attachment (20) is rotatable around its axis and slidable towards either side in the direction of the slider axle (24) wherein the range of the linear movement is determined by the position of the slider limiter (18) at one end and the key of the extremities attachment (22) at the other end.
 6. A lever according to claims 1 to 5, wherein the slider carrier (16) contains one or more linear bearings.
 7. A lever according to claims 1 to 6, wherein the extremities attachment (20) has an embedded linear bearing.
 8. A lever according to claims 1 to 7, wherein the axle attachment (10) is set up in a way so that it reflects as closely as possible the extremities line, preserving, during the process of design, the functionality of the slider lever axle attachment of the exercising, rehabilitation or functional diagnostics device/appliance. 